Thursday, January 14, 2010

The current national debate on health care reform stirs up emotions while provoking heated argument even among friends. Just listen at about any water cooler in offices around town. Or, bring up the topic during coffee time before Sunday School next week and see what breaks out!

Most of us enjoy the luxury of debate, hopefully friendly.

For some individuals and their families the debate is anything but theoretical or abstract. Think for a moment. I expect you have a story or know someone with a story that moves quickly toward the harsh realities associated with no easy access to health care when most needed. Often we hear horror stories about how we'll all be forced to wait for treatement if health care reform passes the Congress. The fact is, millions wait today thanks to our current system that leaves almost 50 million Americans without access to comprehensive care.

A few days ago, Dallas Morning News' columnist, Steve Blow reported the tragic story of Xavier Ramirez. I'm grateful to Blow for bringing reality into our theoretical arguments. For me, Xavier's story settles the issue and ends the debate. We need reform and we need reform now.

I've published the entire story below. Take a moment to read it and let me know what you think.

10 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Totally agree that we need reform to make sure this type of tragedy does not occur. Unfortunately, once again, congress has failed to to address the real problem. Why do we have the ability to respond quickly to tragedies such as Haiti, but cannot address problems that affect millions in our own country without making it a politcal power struggle?

In the middle of a crisis, how can someone suddenly "discover" they have no health insurance?

I agree we need reform, but we were promised it would be an open debate. Instead we were totally lied to. Few lawmakers have read any of the various health care bills and I doubt they understand it if they did.

One example of how bad both the Senate and House bills are is that they would provide financial incentives to subsidize marriage avoidance. it has been proved that marriage is the best remedy for poverty. Federal welfare programs discriminate against marriage and instead give taxpayer handouts to those who reject marriage.

This is a sad tragedy, and it sounds like his mom did everything that she knew possible.

I must add, that, it is still very possible that he would have died had he been under a nationalized health care plan plan like the one in Canada.

He would have been on waiting list, and it would have taken anywhere between 6 months and 18 months to see a specialist. In some cases, it could have taken up to 10 years. In fact, in most areas in Canada it is a six month wait for an MRI. Surgeries such as a gall bladder removal can take years to happen until you make it to the top of the waiting list.

That is why so many Canadians come to the US for health care.

There just isn't enough doctors to treat everyone! (Just think about it!)

But that being said, I still think he should have gotten the treatment he needed. I really feel for his mom and family.

Anon 4:47, sorry, but in the case of this young man with accute issues the Canadian wait would not have been as you suggest. Had he presented at ER in Canada he would have been hospitalized immediately and treated, as would have been the case in the US had he had insurance. Under our system his wait turned out to be a lifetime, so why bash Canada?

Chris, if that is the deal that Canada worked out--as is true in the states among providers--then my point remains. Canada paid and the boy would have lived. Because he wasn't in Canada, he didn't get what he needed.

Larry James' Urban Daily

A repository of ideas, resources, commentary and opinions concerning the issues facing low-income residents of the inner cities of the United States and how mainstream America largely forgets or, worse, ignores the day-to-day realities of urban life for the so-called "poor." Written and edited by the President & CEO of CitySquare. Please visit CitySquare.